
Class ^ 

Book 

Copyiiglitl^^.. 



Ml 






COFWIGHT DEPOSm 






The 

Home Economy 

Handbook 






Copyright 1917 

By 
Charles R. Pratt 



JAN 17 1918 
©CI.A4814nr, 



The Home Economy 
Handbook 



The purpose of The Home Economy Handbook is 
to tell you how you may provide the proper amount of 
nourishment for your family at the least possible cost. 

In recent yesu-s scientists have discovered a number 
of important facts about the nutrition of the body. 

These facts tell us just what food elements are 
required by the body, how much of each of the elements 
is necessary to properly nourish the body, and in what 
foods we may find these elements at the least cost. 

But the important facts have been so mixed up 
with a great mass of unimportant information that it 
has been all but impossible for the average man to find 
the few facts he must have before he can efficiently 
nourish his body with the least cost. 

It is to make these few essential facts available to 
the average man that this handbook is published. 

By use of the information contained herein, the 
food bills of the average family can be cut two to five 
dollars per month for each grown member of the family, 
and proportionately for children. And this can be done 
without lowering in any way the nourishment values of 
the food, and with very little, if any, lessening of its 
palatability. 



INDEX 

PART 1 — ^The Human Engine 5 

The Secret of Food Economy 6 

Body Repairs — Protein 6 

Body Fuels — Fats and Carbohydrates 7 

The Calory 8 

Table 1 — Composition of Food MaterieJs 9 

PART 2 — Cheap Protein Foods 10 

Table 2 — Protein Values of Foods 11 

Soy Beans 12 

Table 3 — Saving by Use of Soy Beans 13 

Soy Bean Recipes 13 

Cowpeas 16 

Table 4 — Saving by Use of Cowpeas 16 

Cowpea Recipes 16 

Navy Beans 17 

Table 5 — Saving by Use of Navy Beans 18 

Navy Bean Recipes 18 

The Peanut 18 

Skim Milk .18 

Table 6 — Saving by Use of Skim Milk 19 

Skim Milk Recipes 19 

Fermented Milks 21 

Cottage Cheese 23 

Economy in the Use of Meats 24 

Making Tough Meats Tender 24 

Improving the Flavor of Meats 28 

How to Use Meat Scraps 29 

PART 3 — Cheap Fuel Foods 31 

Table 7 — Energy (Fuel) Values of Foods 32 

Breakfast Food Economy 33 

Table 8 — Food Values of Breakfast Cereals 33 

Home Made Breakfast Cereals 34 

How to Save Bread 36 

Special Preparations of Whole Cereals 39 

Home Made Cereal Coffee 41 

Home Made Cooking Compound 42 

PART 4 — A Home Made Fireless Cooker 46 

4 



Part One 
The Human Engine 



First you must get this idea clearly: The human body b 
an engine. 

That is, it is a producer of power, exactly as the steam 
engine is a producer of power. 

If you have difficulty in seeing that the human body produces 
power, consider this fact: A mountain climber can, in a dozen hours 
of climbing, lift his own body from sea level to the top of Mt. Rainier, 
nearly 15,000 feet high. Now, lift a fifty-pound sack of flour from the 
floor onto the kitchen table. You use power. Our mountain climber, if 
he weighs 200 pounds, uses twenty-four thousand times that much power 
in climbing to the top of Mt. Rainier — and all that power was produced 
by his own body. 

Now, in order to understand the human body as an 
engine (as a producer of power) we must consider certain 
things about the steam engine. 

To enable the steam engine to exert its great power day 
after day it must be supplied with four things: Repairs, fuel, 
lubricants (oil and grease), and water. 

Now^ note carefully some interesting facts: Repairs are 
made of the same material as the engine. For fuel, many 
different things may be used: crude oil, coal, wood, or one 
might use even costly mahogany, and get excellent results 
thereby, but at a very great cost. 

The secret of fuel economy is to use that fuel which pro- 
duces the greatest amount of power per dollar of cost. 

Now consider the human engine: 

If it is to do its work day after day it must have the 
same four things required by the steam engine — 

1. Repairs; 

2. Fuel; 

3. Lubricants ; 

4. Water. 

Repairs. As with the steam engine, repairs for the body 
are made of the same material as the body, and to get this 
material we must eat foods that contain it. 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

Fuels. For the body fuel many different foods may be 
used, and these vary greatly in cost. 

(Because water and body lubricants cost very little, and 
therefore offer no chance to save on their cost, this handbook 
will have but little to say of them.) 



BODY REPAIRS AND BODY FUELS 

The human engine, like the steam engine, must have 
repairs to keep it in order, and fuels to supply energy. 

THE SECRET OF FOOD ECONOMY IS TO SELECT 
THOSE FOODS WHICH PROVIDE THE PROPER 
AMOUNT OF REPAIR MATERIAL AND THE PROPER 
AMOUNT OF FUEL MATERIAL AT THE LEAST COST. 

THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK TELLS YOU 
HOW TO DO THIS, AND THUS MAKES IT POSSIBLE 
FOR YOU TO SAVE FROM TWO TO FIVE DOLLARS 
PER MONTH FOR EVERY GROWN MEMBER OF THE 
FAMILY. 

Body Repairs 

Since the body muscles are constantly wearing out, they 
must have repairs, and these repairs must be of the same 
material as the muscles. 

Now, the musculeur part of the body is composed of a 
certain substance that scientists call protein (pronounced 
pro'-te-in). To keep the body in repair we must eat a cer- 
tain amount of foods that contain protein. 

A man at moderately light labor requires about 3 1/3 
ounces (about 1/5 lb.) of protein daily. 

6 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

Protein is the most expensive food. The following foods 
contain large amounts of protein: The flesh of animals, milk, 
eggs, beans and peas. 

Protein can also be used as a body fuel, but should not 
be, since other fuel foods are far less expensive. 

Protein costs more in some foods than in others, and 
by careful study we may select those foods which supply the 
needed amount of protein at the lowest possible cost. 

Protein food costs, then, may be cut in two ways: 

1. Use only the amount of protein required to repair 
the body. Use other and cheaper foods for body 
fuel. 

2. Select those foods which supply the needed protein 
at the smallest cost. 

How to do this will be shown in Part Two. 

Body Fuels 

The body fuels are fats and carbohydrates. (Protein 
may be used as body fuel, but should not be, since other 
fuels can be had at far less cost.) 

Fats are found in meat, butter, milk, olive oil, cotton 
seed oil and, to a small extent, in corn and oats. 

Carbohydrates are starches and sugars, and are found in 
grains, fruits and vegetables. 

A man doing moderately light labor requires enough fuel 
food to produce about 4,000 calories of energy. (This term 
calories will be explained later.) 

THE SECRET OF FUEL FOOD ECONOMY IS TO 
SELECT THOSE FOODS WHICH PROVIDE THE NEEDED 
AMOUNT OF FUEL AT THE LEAST COST. HOW TO 
DO THIS WILL BE SHOWN IN PART THREE. 

It is most important to note that fuel foods can never 
take the place of repair foods in the ration. No matter how 

7 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

much fuel food a man eats, he will starve without repair 
foods — protein foods. His muscles will w^aste away for w^ant 
of repairs. By a "balanced ration" is meant the proper 
amounts of both repair and fuel foods. 



The Calory 

Before we can judge the relative fuel values of the dif- 
ferent foods, we must know w^hat the calory is. 

The calory is the unit for measuring energy, just as the 
pound is the unit of weight, and the dollar the unit of money. 

Energy may be in either of two forms: heat or power 
(and may be changed from one to the other). 

A calory of energy in the form of heat is that amount 
of heat necessary to raise one liter (about one pint) of water 
four degrees Fahrenheit. 

Thus it takes 45 calories of heat to raise a pint of 
water from the freezing point to the boiling point. 

A calory of energy in the form of power will raise one 
ton to a height of a little more than 1 Yi feet (1.54 ft.), A 
calory of pow^er will raise a pound to the height of 3,080 ft. 

We have seen that a man at light work requires about 
1/5 lb. of protein and about 3,000 calories of fuel per day. 
A man at moderately heavy labor requires about .28 lb. of 
protein, and about 3,500 calories of fuel per day. The 
ration of a man doing heavy labor must provide 1/3 lb. of 
protein and 4,000 calories of fuel. 



COMPOSITION OF FOOD MATERIALS 

At this point will be given a table showing the protein 
and fuel values of a large number of foods. 

This table is very important, as by means of it we can 
make striking savings. It will be referred to constantly in the 
later pages of this book. 

This table is absolutely reliable. It is compiled from 
various bulletins issued by the U. S. Department of Agricul- 
ture, and may be depended upon as correct. 

8 



Table 1 — Composition 

KIND OF FOOD Protein 

Column 1 Col. 2 

Fats and Oils — % 

Lard 

Olive Oil 

Cotton Seed Oil 

Beef Suet 4.7 

Butter 1.0 

Bacon 9.4 

Milk and Cheese — 

Whole Milk 3.3 

Skim Milk 3.4 

Buttermilk 3.0 

Cream 2.5 

Cream Cheese 25.9 

Cottage Cheese 20.9 

Egg — 

Whole Egg 14.8 

White of Egg 13.0 

Yolk of Egg 16.1 

Meat — 

Lamb Chop 17.7 

Pork Chop 16.9 

Smoked Ham 1 6. 1 

Beefsteak 18.6 

Dried Beef 30.0 

Fish- 
Cod (fresh) 15.8 

Salt Cod 21.5 

Oysters 6.2 

Herring (smoked) 36.4 

Mackerel (fresh) 18.3 

Halibut (fresh) 15.3 

Salmon (fresh) 16.7 

Beans and Peas — 

Navy Bean 22.5 

Soy Bean 34.0 

Brown Bean 21.9 

Cowpeas 24.6 

Peanuts 25.8 

Vegetables and Fruit — 

Corn (green) 3.1 

Apple 0.4 

Dried Fig 4.3 

Strawberry 1.0 

Banana 1.3 

Potato 2.2 

Onion 1.6 

Parsnip 1.6 

Celery I.I 

Grapes 1.3 

Raisins 2.6 

Fruit Jelly 

Grape Juice 0.2 

Nuts — 

Walnut 16.6 

Chestnut 10.7 

Peanut 25.8 

Peanut Butter 29.3 

Cocoanut 6.6 

Shredded Cocoanut 6.3 

Grains — 

Corn 10.0 

Wheat 12.2 

Buckwheat 10.0 

Oats 11.8 

Rice 8.0 

Rye 12.2 

Popcorn 11.2 

Bread — 

White Bread 9.2 

Whole Wheat Bread 9.7 

Corn Bread 7.9 

Macaroni (dry) 13.4 

Sugar — 

White Sugar 

Molasses 2.4 

Stick Candy 

Maple Sugar 

Honey 0.4 











Fuel 


of Food Materials 




Value 
Calories 




Carbo- 






per 


Fat 


hydrates 


Ash 


Water 


Pound 


Col. 3 


Col. 4 


Col. 5 


Col. 6 


Col. 7 


% 


% 


% 


% 




100.0 








4,080 


100.0 








4,080 


100.0 








4,080 


81.8 




0.3 


13.2 


3,510 


85.0 




3.0 


II. 


3,410 


67.4 




4.4 


18.8 


3,030 


4.0 


5.0 


0.7 


87.0 


310 


0.3 


5.1 


0.7 


90.5 


165 


0.5 


4.8 


0.7 


91.0 


160 


18.5 


4.5 


0.5 


74.0 


865 


33.7 


2.4 


3.8 


34.2 


1,950 


1.0 


4.3 


1.8 


72.0 


510 


10.5 




1.0 


73.7 


700 


0.2 




0.6 


86.2 


265 


33.3 




1.1 


49.5 


1,608 


28.3 




1.0 


53.1 


1,540 


30.1 




1.0 


52.0 


1,580 


38.8 




4.8 


40.3 


1,940 


18.5 




1.0 


61.9 


1,130 


6.6 




9.1 


54.3 


840 


0.4 




1.2 


82.6 


325 


0.3 




24.7 


53.5 


410 


1.2 


3.7 


2.0 


86.9 


235 


15.8 




13.2 


34.6 


1,355 


7.1 




1.2 


73.4 


645 


4.4 




0.9 


61.9 


454 


14.8 




0.9 


57.9 


903 


1.8 


59.6 


3.5 


12.6 


1,605 


16.8 


33.7 


4.7 


10.8 


1,970 


1.3 


65.1 


4.2 


7.5 


1,695 


1.0 


62.0 


2.9 


9.5 


1,655 


38.6 


24.4 


2.0 


9.2 


2,560 


I.I 


19.7 


0.7 


75.4 


500 


0.5 


14.0 


0.3 


84.6 


290 


0.3 


74.2 


2.4 


18.8 


1,475 


0.6 


7.4 


0.6 


90.4 


180 


0.6 


22.0 


0.8 


75.3 


460 


0.1 


18.4 


1.0 


78.3 


385 


0.3 


9.9 


0.6 


87.6 


225 


0.5 


13.5 


1.4 


83.0 


230 




3.4 


1.0 


94.5 


85 


1.6 


19.2 


0.5 


77.4 


450 


3.3 


76.1 


3.4 


14.6 


1,605 




78.3 


0.7 


21.0 


1,455 




7.4 


0.2 


92.2 


150 


63.4 


16.1 


1.4 


2.5 


3.285 


7.0 


74.2 


2.2 


5.9 


1,875 


38.6 


24.4 


2.0 


9.2 


2.560 


46.5 


17.1 


5.0 


2.1 


2,825 


56.2 


22.6 


1.6 


13.0 


2,805 


57.4 


31.5 


1.3 


3.5 


3,125 


4.3 


73.4 


1.5 


10.8 


1,800 


1.7 


73.7 


1.8 


10.6 


1,750 


2.2 


73.2 


2.0 


12.6 


1,600 


5.0 


69.2 


3.0 


1 1.0 


1,720 


2.0 


77.0 


1.0 


12.0 


1,720 


1.5 


73.9 


1.9 


10.5 


1,750 


5.2 


71.4 


1.5 


10.7 


1,710 


1.3 


53.1 


1.1 


35.3 


1.215 


0.9 


49.7 


1.3 


38.4 


1,140 


4.7 


46.3 


2.2 


38.9 


1,205 


0.9 


74.1 
100.0 


1.3 


10.3 


1,660 
1,860 




69.3 


3.2 


25.1 


1,290 




96.5 


0.5 


3.0 


1,785 




82.8 


0.9 


16.3 


1,540 




81.2 


0.2 


18.2 


1,520 



Part Two 
Cheap Protein Foods 



We will now consider the cheap sources of protein, and 
we will see what remarkable savings can be made by using 
these foods instead of the commonly used protein foods. 

By far the most costly element in our food is protein, 
and we may make a very great reduction in the cost of living 
by selecting those foods which supply the needed protein at 
the smallest cost. 

Remember that a man at light labor must have about 
one-fifth of a pound of protein daily in order to repair the 
body. 

Most people depend upon meat for the protein, but meat 
is a very costly food, and we can select foods which yield 
the needed amount of protein at a fraction of the cost of 
meat. 

To help in this selection, a table is given showing the 
protein values of the different foods. (This table is built up 
from the figures in Table 1 . ) 

Explanation of Table 2 

In this table, column 1 gives the name of the food; 
column 2 gives the per cent of protein in this food; column 
3 gives the average price of this food over a long term of 
years; column 4 tells how many thousandths of a pound of 
protein are contained in one cent's worth of this food at the 
price named in column 3. 

Columns 5 and 6 are left blank, to be filled in by you. 
In column 5 write, in pencil, the present price of the various 
foods, and in column 6 write the amount of protein a cent 
will buy at the present price of the various foods. 

10 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

To get the figures for column 6, take the percentage of 
protein, shown in column 2, multiply this per cent by ten, and 
divide by the present price in cents per pound. 

By changing the figures in the last two columns as the 
prices of the various foods change, you can keep your table 
up to date, and always be able to know what foods are the 
cheapest source of protein. 



Table 2 — Relative Protein Values of Foods 



KIND OF FOOD Protein 

Smoked Herring 36.0 

Soy Beans 34.0 

Dried Beef 30.0 

Peanut Butter 29.3 

Peanuts 26.9 

Cream Cheese 25.9 

Cowpeas (dried) 24.6 

Navy Bean 22.5 

Salt Cod 21.5 

Cottage Cheese 21.0 

Beefsteak 18.6 

Mackerel (fresh) 18.3 

Lamb Chop 17.6 

Pork Chop 17.0 

Smoked Ham 16.1 

Salmon 16.7 

Fresh Cod 15.8 

Halibut 15.3 

Eggs 14.8 

Wheat 12.2 

Rye 12.0 

Oats 11.8 

Popcorn 11.2 

Corn 10.0 

Wholewheat Bread 9.7 

Bacon 9.4 

White Bread 9.2 

Corn Bread 8.0 

Rice 8.0 

Cocoanut 6.3 

Oysters _ 6.2 

Beef Suet 4.7 

Skim Milk 3.4 

Whole Milk 3.3 

Green Com 3.1 

Buttermilk 3.0 

Raisins 2.6 

Cream 2.5 

Molasses 2.4 

String Beans 2.3 

Potato 2.2 

Parsnips 1.6 

Onion 1.6 

Bananas 1 .3 

Butter 1.0 

Apple 0.4 

Sugar 0.0 



Protein for 
Average 1 Cent 
Cost in 1/1000 
Cents Pound Present Cost 

25.0 14.5 


Protein 
for 1 Cent 


3.0 


113.0 




30.0 


1 0.0 




25.0 


11.7 




15.0 


17.2 




22.0 


11.8 




4.0 


61.0 




6.0 


3 7.5 




16.0 


13.4 




12.0 


17.4 




17.0 


10.9 




18.0 


10.2 




20.0 


8.8 




16.0 


10.6 




18.0 


8.9 




15.0 


11.0 




16.0 


9.9 




12.5 


12.0 




20.0 


7.4 




2.5 


48.8 




3.0 


40.7 




1.7 


67.4 




10.0 


11.2 




1.5 


66.7 




5.0 


19.4 




22.5 


4.2 




5.0 


18.4 




4.0 


20.0 




10.0 


8.0 




19.0 


3.3 




20.0 


3.1 




12.0 


3.9 




2.5 


13.6 . . 




4.0 


8.2 




15.0 


2.0 




2.5 


12.0 




10.0 


2.6 




25.0 


1.0 




6.3 


3.8 




10.0 


23.0 




1.3 


16.9 




3.0 


5.3 . . 




3.0 


5.3 




5 


2.6 




37.0 


0.3 .. .. 




5.0 


0.8 




6.0 


0.0 





11 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

In this table the foods are arranged in order of their 
richness in protein, those having a high percentage of protein 
coming first. Note that wheat is eighteenth on the list. All 
those foods coming before wheat are known as high-protein 
or protein-rich foods. Wheat and those foods lower on the 
list, except milk, sure low-protein foods. (Milk is considered 
high-protein. About 25% of the SOLID part of milk is 
protein. ) 

The protein-rich foods contain protein in concentrated 
form, and are chiefly valued because they furnish body 
repairs. 

In the low-protein foods the protein is diluted with the 
fats and carbohydrates (body fuels) and if you depend upon 
them alone for the necessary protein your diet w^ill be too 
bulky. Therefore about one-half of the protein ration should 
be taken in protein-rich foods. You w^ill save money by tak- 
ing the remainder in low-protein foods. 

As you will see by referring to column 4 of Table 2, a 
cent spent for oats will buy 67/1000 pound of protein, while 
you get only about one-sixth as much protein in a cent's 
worth of beefsteak. (The best fuel foods are low^-protein 
foods, and since fuel foods will be considered in Part 3, 
nothing further will be said of low^-protein foods.) 

Meat Substitutes 

A word of caution should be said here about so-called meat substi- 
tutes. Now, meat is rich in protein, and a food can take the placQ of 
meat in the diet only if it, too, is protein-rich. 

Preparing rice, or any other low-protein food so that it looks like 

meat doesn't make it a meat substitute such foods cannot furnish the 

protein the body must have in order to keep in repair. 

On the other hand, a protein-rich food is a true meat substitute, 
no matter what it looks like when served. If the food contains a large 
percentage of protein it will repair body waste, and is a meat substi- 
tute. 

THE SOY BEAN 

The remarkable soy bean is undoubtedly the cheapest 
source of protein to be found in all the world, and a saving 
of 3c to 25c per day per person can be made by using it to 
supply the protein ration, instead of other protein-rich foods. 

The soy bean is a native of China, and in the Orient is 
the most important food, next to rice. It is eaten every day 
by rich and poor alike, and forms the chief source of protein 
for most of the population. 

12 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

It was only recently introduced into this country, and is 
hardly known yet, but is even now being imported by the 
ship-load. Produced in vast quantities by cheap Oriental 
labor, it sells at less than one-half the price of other beans. 

This remarkable bean is more than one-third protein, 
and more than one-sixth fat. Refer to the fourth column of 
Table 2. You will see that one cent spent for soy beans will 
furnish 113/1000 of a pound of protein — nearly twice as 
much as the next cheapest protein food (peas), and more 
than ten times as much as beefsteak. 

The following table compares soy beans with other com- 
mon protein-rich foods. The sixth column shows the cost of 
the one-fifth pound of protein needed daily. 

Note, in the last column, the remarkable saving to be 
made by the use of soy beans. 

Table 3. — Saving by Use of Soy Beans. 

Protein in 

1 lb. of the Protein Cost of 

Usual Per Cent Food for Ic — Daily Saving by 

Cost per of (1/1000 1/1000 Protein Using Soy 

FOOD Pound Protein Pound) Pounds Ration Beans 

Soy Bean 3c 34.0 340 113.0 I Vsc 

Eggs 20c 15.0 150 7.4 nVzc I'iVi.c 

Pork Chops 16c 16.9 169 10.6 19c IJVac 

Beefsteak 17c 18.6 186 I 1 .0 18c I6i/8C 

Cottage Cheese 12c 21.0 210 17.4 17 4/lOc 9%c 

Navy Bean 6c 22.5 225 37.5 51/3C 3 l/6c 

The soy bean is palatable as well as cheap, and we 
may save ourselves much money by using these beans exten- 
sively as a meat substitute. 

How to Cook Soy Beans 

Soy beans can be served in as large a variety of 
attractive ways as any other bean, and should be prepared 
in the same way, except that they require considerably longer 
to cook. 

Flatulence — After eating beans many people experience virhat is 
known as flatulence, or the formation of gas in the intestines. This may 
be prevented if a small amount of soda and salt is added to the beans 
in cooking. 

Below^ are given a number of recipes for cooking soy 
beans. These recipes may be used in cooking other beans, 
and cow peas. Likewise recipes given later for cooking cow^ 
peas may be used for cooking soy beans. 

13 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

Soy Bean Loaf 

Place one pound of soy beans in a kettle with plenty of 
water. Flavor to taste. Boil until tender but unbroken (not 
less than six hours). Boil nearly dry, then drain and allow 
to cool. 

When cold, put through food chopper or sieve. Stir in 
half a cupful of tomato or tomato catsup and one cupful of 
bread crumbs. Place in a greased pan and bake in a mod- 
erate oven for half an hour. Serve hot or cold. 

Mock Meat Cakes 

Soak half a cupful of soy beans over night; cook until 
tender (at least six hours). Drain the beans. Add equal 
parts of boiled potato, mash together, mixing thoroughly. 
Stir in half a cupful of grated cheese, half a cupful of fine 
bread crumbs (corn bread is good), one beaten egg, and one 
tablespoonful of bacon fat or lard. Season and allow to cool. 
Then shape into cakes, dip in corn meal, and fry. 

Chili Con Came 

Cut one pound of round steak into small square pieces. 
Fry in hot fat until nicely browned. Then add cupful of 
boiling water. Cover, and stew until tender. Add three red 
peppers, chopped fine. Add two cupfuls cooked soy beans, 
one medium size onion chopped fine, one tablespoonful of 
flour, four cloves, and a teaspoonful of salt. Cook until 
gravy is of right consistency. Serve hot. 

Baked Beans 

One pound of beans, one-fourth pound of salt pork, one 
tezispoon of beJcing soda, two teaspoons of molasses, one tea- 
spoon of mustard. 

Wash the beans and soak them in cold water over night. 
Pour off the w^ater and put beans in pot. Cover w^ith cold 
w^ater, add the soda, and cook gently until the beans are 
slightly softened. Pour off the water, mix the molasses and 
mustard w^ith a pint of water, and pour this over the beans, 
adding more water if the beans are not covered. Place the 
pork upon the beans and cover the vessel. Bring to a boil. 
Then put in fireless cooker and leave for ten or twelve hours. 

Baked beans require ten to twelve hours if cooked in a 
stove, but by using a fireless cooker the stove is used only 
thirty minutes — a wonderful saving. 

14 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

Bean Loaf 

Mash two cupfuls of cooked beans, put through sieve, 
add one-half cup of grated cheese, salt and peper, and 
enough bread crumbs to thicken enough to form into a roll. 
Lay in buttered tin, and bake in moderate oven. Baste with 
butter and water. Serve hot with tomato sauce. 

Cheese and Bean Roast 

One cup of grated cheese, one cup of mashed boiled 
beans, one cup of bread crumbs, two tablespoons or more 
of chopped onion, salt and pepper, three-fourths cup of 
water, juice of one-half lemon. 

Cook onion in the butter and water until tender. Add 
beans, cheese and bread crumbs, salt and pepper, and the 
grated rind and juice of half a lemon. Turn into buttered 
baking dish. Cover with bread crumbs and dabs of butter 
and bake for twenty minutes. Very delicious. 

Soy Bean Sandwiches 

Mash thoroughly one cup of cold baked soy beans, add 
teaspoon of finely chopped onion, salad dressing or oil 
enough to moisten. 

This makes a really delicious sandwich, and is more 
nourishing than a meat sandwich, at a fraction of the cost. 

Bean Croquettes 

Thoroughly mash one pint of boiled beans. Flavor to 
taste. Shape into croquettes. Dip in beaten egg, roll in 
crumbs or corn meal and fry as fish. Serve with tomato or 
horseradish sauce. 

Mock Sausage 

Mash one quart of boiled beans. Add slightly beaten 
egg, one-fourth teaspoonful of sage, salt and pepper. Place 
in saucepan over fire, stirring occasionally until well heated. 
Pour into a platter and allow to cool until you can form it 
with the hands to resemble small sausages. Dip in bread 
crumbs, and fry in deep fat, or in skillet. 

Soy Bean Loaf 

Mash one pint of beans, add one pint of cold corn meal 
mush and one-half pint of ground meat. Season to taste and 
mix thoroughly. Form into a loaf and bake in oven. Strips 
of bacon on this loaf will improve it. 

15 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

COWPEAS 

Cowpeas, or field peas, which are really a kind of bean, 
are, next to soy beans, the cheapest source of protein to be 
found. 

From 8c to 24c per day may be saved by using them 
instead of other protein-rich foods. 

Cowpeas are chiefly used in the South, but are practi- 
cally unknown in the North, where we use large quantities of 
higher priced beans. 

The following table shows, in the last column, the 
remarkable savings that may be made by using cowpeas. 

Table 4 — Savings by Use of Cowpeas 

Thousandths 

Pound of Protein Cost of 

Per Cent Protein in for Ic Daily Saving by 

Usual of 1 lb. of 1/1000 Protein Using 

FOOD Cost Protein the Food Pound Ration Cowpeas 

Cowpeas 3c 21.4 214 7.1 3c 

Eggs 20c 15.0 150 7.4 271/30 24y3C 

Pork Chops 16c 16.9 169 10.6 19c 16c 

Beefsteak 17c 18.6 186 11.0 18c 15c 

Cottage Cheese 12c 21.0 210 17.4 liy2C &VsC 

Cooking Cowpeas 

Cowpeas may be cooked the same ways as dried beans. 
Baked with salt pork or bacon they make an excellent dish 
resembling pork and beans, but with a distinctive flavor. 

Cowpeas boiled with ham or bacon are also palatable 
dishes. Any of the recipes given for soy beans may be used. 

Boiled and mashed through a colander, the peas form 
a foundation for numerous dishes. They may be creamed 
with milk and butter, like mashed potatoes; formed into cro- 
quettes with bread crumbs; minced with vegetables, milk, and 
seasonings, or made into soup. 

Cowpeas and Rice 

Boil one quart of cowpeas and a pint of rice separately 
and mix together when done. The rice should be seasoned 
after it is cooked. Bacon or a beef bone boiled with the 
peas adds a desirable flavor to the dish. 

B2d(ed Cowpeas 

Cook one quart of cowpeas slowly in water until they 
begin to soften. This will require five or six hours. Put them 
into a bean pot, add one-half pound of salt pork, and a 
small onion cut up fine (or use instead of the onion one 
tablespoonful of molasses) . Cover with water and bake 
slowly six or seven hours. 

16 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

Cowpea Soup 
One tablespoonful of butter or pork fat; one tablespoon- 
ful of finely chopped onion; one stalk of celery, finely 
chopped; one cup of dry cowpeas; salt. 

Soak the peas eight to ten hours in water enough to 
cover. Fry the vegetables in the butter, add the peas in the 
water in which they w^ere soaked, and cook until the peas 
are tender. Put the mixture through a sieve and add water 
enough to bring to the consistency desired. Reheat. If this 
soup is thickened with one tablespoonful of flour mixed with 
a little water, the pea pulp will not sink. 

Puree of Cowpeas 

Soak one pint of dry cowpeas in cold water over night. 
Cook until soft, in just enough water to cover. Drain and 
pass through a sieve. Season w^ith salt, pepper, one-half cup- 
ful of milk, a tablespoonful of butter or other fat, and two 
teaspoonfuls of brown sugar. Beat thoroughly, reheat, and 
serve like mashed potatoes. 

Baked Cowpeas and Cheese 

(Substitute for Meat Roll) 

One tablespoon of butter; one tablespoon of finely 
chopped onion; one tablespoon of finely chopped sweet green 
pepper or celery; two cups of cooked cowpeas; one-half cup 
of grated cheese. 

Press the peas through a sieve to remove the skins, and 
mix with the cheese. Cook the onion and pepper or celery 
in the butter, or other fat, being careful not to brown, and 
add them to the peas and cheese. Form the mixture into a 
roll, place on a buttered dish and cook in a moderate oven 
until brow^n, basting occasionally w^ith butter or other fat and 
water. Serve hot or cold, like meat. 

Remember that navy beans, brown beans, and soy beans 
may be used instead of cowpeas in these recipes, and that 
cowpeas may be used in recipes which call for navy beans, 
brown beeuis, or soy beans. 

NAVY BEANS 

The navy bean is another very cheap source of protein 
and from 6c to 22c per person may be saved daily by using 
the navy bean instead of other common sources of protein. 

A cent spent for navy beans will provide more than 
three and one-half times as much protein as a cent spent for 
beefsteak. 

17 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

The following table compares the navy bean with other 
common protein-rich foods. The last column show^s the 
remarkable savings that may be made by using navy beans 
instead of other protein foods. 

Table 5 — Saving by Use of Navy Beans 

Protein Cost of Daily 

Percent for Ic Daily Saving by 

Usual of 1/1000 Protein Beans 

FOOD Cost Protein Pound Ration Navy 

Navy Beans 6c 22.5 37.5 5%c 

Eggs 20c 15 7.4 27%c 22c 

Pork Chops 16c 16.9 10.6 19c 13%c 

Beefsteak 17c 18.6 II 18c 12%c 

Cottage Cheese 12c 21 17.4 ll^^c 6 1/6c 

These figures show what striking savings may be made 
by using beems for the protein food. Increasing the amount 
of beans consumed increases our savings. We may greatly 
increase our use of beans by serving them in a large variety 
of attractive and palatable ways. 

In cooking navy beans, use any of the recipes given for 
cooking soy beans or cowpeas. 

THE PEANUT 

The peanut is another member of the bean family which 
can save you money. 

One cent's worth of peanuts contains more than one and 
one-half times as much protein as one cent's worth of beef- 
steak. A day's ration of protein (one-fifth pound) can be 
had in peanuts for twelve cents, compared with 27c for eggs, 
19c for pork chops, and 18c for beefstesJc. 

Peanut butter, which is simply finely ground peanuts, 
with perhaps a little oil added, may be made at home at a 
saving by using the special nut-butter blade supplied with 
most of the meat choppers. 

SKIM MILK 

Skim milk is one of the cheapest and best sources of 
protein to be found. What is said of skim milk is true also 
of buttermilk, since they contain practically the same food 
elements. 

From 7c to 15c per day may be saved by each person 
by using skim milk instead of other common sources of pro- 
tein. This is shown in the following table. 

18 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 
Table 6 — ^Saving by Use of Skim Milk 

Daily 

Protein Cost Saving 

Percent for Ic of Daily by Using 

Cost per of 1/1000 Protein Skim 

Pound Protein Pound Ration Milk 

Skim Milk 2c 3.4 17 12c 

Beefsteak 1 7c 18.6 10.9 19c 7c 

Pork Chops 16c 16.9 10.6 19c 7c 

Ham 18c 16.1 8.9 22i^c lOVzc 

Whole Milk 4c 3.3 8.2 24y2C UVgc 

Egg 20c 15 7.4 27y2C I5%c 

Since skim milk is such a cheap source of protein we 
may very greatly reduce the cost of living by using larger 
amounts of it, and we may very greatly increase our use of 
skim milk by medcing it palatable. 

Skim milk can be made palatable by cooking it in com- 
bination with other foods, as in the making of bread, soups, 
and tasty desserts and puddings, and by fermenting the milk. 
How to do this is told below. 

Remember: The protein value of a cup of skim milk 
and one egg are about the same. 

MILK SOUPS 

Milk soups can be given many and varied flavors, are 
easily made, and generally relished. Another point in their 
favor is that they make palatable combinations with large 
quantities of bread, which is itself one of the cheapest sources 
of body energy, or fuel. 

The following is a sample of a milk soup, and many 
other varied soups may be made by following the general 
directions given, but using different flavorings. 

Soup Recipe 

One quart of spinach (4 ounces) ; one thin slice of 
onion; two slices of stale bread (2 ounces); one quart of 
skim milk. 

Put the spinach and the onion through the meat chopper, 
following them by the bread, in order that there may be no 
waste. Put into a double boiler with the milk, and cook 
until the spinach is tender. 

Milk and Cheese Soup 

Three cups of milk, or part milk and part stock; one and 
one-half tablespoons flour; one cup of grated cheese; salt and 
paprika. 

19 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

Thicken the milk with the flour, cooking thoroughly. 
This is best done in a double boiler, with frequent stirrings. 
When ready to serve, add the cheese and the seasoning. 

The protein in this soup is equal in amount to that in 
five-sixths of a pound of beef of average composition; its fuel 
value is higher than that of a pound of beef. 

Milk and Vegetable Soup 

One quart of skim milk; one cup or bread crumbs, or 
two large slices of stale bread; one small slice of onion; smsJl 
amount of spinach or outer leaves of lettuce (not more than 
4 ounces) ; salt. 

Cut the vegetables into small pieces and cook with the 
bread crumbs in the milk in a double boiler. If a large 
quantity is being prepared for use in a school, for example, 
put the vegetables through a meat chopper. In this case 
slices of bread can be ground with the vegetables, in order to 
absorb the juice. 

MILK IN BREAD AND CEREALS 

Another profitable way in which to increase the use of 
skim mUk is to use it instead of water in the cooking of 
bread and cereals. 

Remember that a cup of skim milk contains about as 
much protein as there is in an egg. 

Milk in Bread 

Skim milk used in place of water in bread-making adds 
to each pound of bread about as much protein as there is in 
one egg. 

In bread-making simply use any recipe, using milk 
instead of water. Many cooks prefer to allow the milk to 
sour and then use soda instead of baking powder. 

Cereals Cooked in Milk 

To cook a cupful of cereal in three cupfuls of skim milk 
instead of water adds about as much protein as is contained 
in three eggs. 

In other words, thb amount of cereal cooked in water, 
and three eggs, would be no more nourishing than the same 
amount of cereal cooked in skim milk. 

20 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

Another important point in favor of the cereal cooked 
in milk is that it requires very much less cream to make it 
palatable. 

Milk Puddings 

These dishes are very rich in protein, and very palatable 
as well. Here is a recipe for a good one: . 

One part of cereal (rice, oatmeal, or corn meal) ; one 
part of sugar; twelve parts, or more, of skim milk. 

Boil down until the mixture is only about ten times as 
bulky as the cereal used. (If one cup of cereal is used, cook 
the mixture until there is about ten cups of it.) As the water 
evaporates the food becomes richer and richer in protein. 
The more milk is used the richer in protein the food will be. 
It may be served with stewed fruit or baked apples instead 
of cream. 

Recipes for corn starch puddings and other cereal pud- 
dings are too well known to need attention here. The pud- 
dings will have a higher protein value if more milk is used, 
and boiled down to the desired amount. 

Sour Milk 

Sour milk, of course, has the same food value as sweet 
milk, and may be used largely in making bread. 

FERMENTED MILKS 

Fermenting offers a means of very greatly increasing the 
palatability of skim milk, and thus increasing the amount we 
can use. 

The three most commonly used fermented milks are 
buttermilk. Kefir, and what is known as Bulgarian milk. 

Real buttermilk is, of course, the milk left after cream 
is churned for butter. Before the cream is churned it is 
allowed to sour, and the acidity coagulates the casein in the 
milk. In churning this curd is broken up into very fine par- 
ticles. Most of the buttermilk sold in cities is not real butter- 
milk, but is simply soured milk allowed to curdle, and then 
churned to break up the curd. 

Since real buttermilk and skim milk are composed of 
almost exactly the same elements, the "artificial" buttermilk 
is the equal in every way of the real article. 

Buttermilk is recommended by physicians in the treat- 
ment of intestinal disorders, and is in constant use in many 
hospitals. 

21 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

Buttermilk may be served in a variety of ways — plain, 
with sugar, or with sugar and lemon. 

Bulgarian Milk 
Perhaps the most palatable way in which skim milk can 
be served is in the form of Bulgarian milk. Bought ready 
made, it is expensive, but it can be made at home with but 
little trouble. 

Bulgarian milk is thick enough to stand up on a spoon 
like partly melted ice cream, and tastes like buttermilk with 
rich cream. 

It may be served plain, with sugar, or with sugar and 
lemon. 

Preparation of Bulgarian Milk 

To prepare Bulgarian milk secure a lump of the Bul- 
garian culture. Heat the milk to 110 degrees F. Allow to 
cool to 100 degrees F. (about blood warm). Place the cult- 
ure in the milk and place the milk in a w^arm place until the 
milk is thick (this will require several hours). Remove the 
culture and place in another batch of milk, or in a small 
quantity of milk to preserve the culture. 

A small amount of the culture w^ill ferment a quart of 
milk a day, and the culture increases constantly, doubling 
itself every few days. One start is all you ever need to 
purchase. 

If you are unable to procure the Bulgarian culture the 
publishers of the Home Economy Handbook will tell you 
where you can procure it. Enclose a self-addressed envelope, 
stamped, for your reply. 

Kefir 
Kefir is another of the very palatable fermented milks. 
Bought already prepared it is quite expensive, but it can be 
made at home at the cost of the skim milk. 

1 . Obtain buttermilk or prepare it as directed on page 
21. 

2. Add half a teaspoonful of sugar to a 6-ounce or 
8-ounce bottle of boiled and cooled water. Add half a yeast 
cake to this sugar solution and set in a warm place over 
night. This yeast culture should be ready at the time the 

22 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

buttermilk is received, or if made at home, at the time it is 
curdled. 

3. To each pint of the buttermilk, add two even tea- 
spoonfuls of sugar. 

4. Add the yeast culture to the buttermilk in the pro- 
portion of one teaspoonful to a quart of milk. 

Mix thoroughly and bottle. The bottles should be very 
strong as sufficient gas pressure is sometimes generated to 
break ordinary bottles. The heavy bottles used for soda pop 
answer the purpose very well. They must be carefully cleaned 
and boiled or steamed before filling. Fill them full and 
stopper tightly, wiring or tying the stoppers securely in place. 

6. Place in a cool place to ferment. If the fermenta- 
tion is too active the kefir w^ill have a yeasty taste and the 
curd is likely to become lumpy and filled with large gas 
bubbles. A temperature of 65° to 70° F. is right. The floor 
of a cool cellar is a convenient place. 

The bottles should be shaken as often as may be neces- 
sary to keep the curd in a finely divided condition. 

The finished product should be smooth and creamy, 
effervesce rapidly when poured from the bottle, and have the 
pleasant, acid taste of buttermilk, with the added sharpness 
caused by the gas. 

Kefir two or three days old may have a yeasty taste, 
but if it has been properly made this will disappear in another 
day. It should be used when three to five days old, but if 
put on ice may be kept for a week or more. 

Cottage Cheese 

Cottage cheese is another very cheap source of protein. 
Cottage cheese at 12c per pound furnishes more than 50% 
more protein for each cent invested than beefsteak at 1 7c 
per pound. 

For supplying protein one pound of cottage cheese 
equals 1V4 pounds of sirloin, 1 1/10 pounds of round steak, 
IV2 pounds of chicken, IV2 pounds of smoked ham, ly^ 
pounds of veal, and IV3 pounds of leg of lamb. 

Therefore a saving of several cents per day can be made 
by using cottage cheese instead of these other protein foods. 

23 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 
ECONOMY IN THE USE OF MEATS 

We have seen how large savings may be made by using 
other protein-rich foods in place of meat. But no one cares 
to do without meat entirely, and since meat is one of the 
most expensive foods, it is important that it be bought and 
used to the best possible advantage. 

The use of the information found in this chapter will 
enable you to make a very large saving in providing the 
required amount of meat. 

Meat economy is secured in two ways: 

1. By using the cheaper cuts of meat. 

2. By using the fats, bone, and trimmings in meats, 
and by using the left-over cold meats. 

USING THE CHEAPER CUTS OF MEAT 

Recent experiments conducted by the U. S. Department 
of Agriculture show that all cuts of beef have about the same 
food value. These are the figures: Protein in brisket, 16%; 
in chuck rib, 19%; in flank, 20%; in porterhouse, 22%; in 
neck, 21%; in ribs, 18%; in round steak, 21%; in shank, 
21%; in side, 19%. (See page 4 of Farmers' Bulletin No. 
391 of the U. S. Department of Agriculture.) These experi- 
ments also show that the cheaper cuts are digested equally as 
well as the more expensive. 

The chief difference between the cheaper and the more 
expensive cuts are not in their nutritive value, but in their 
texture (toughness) and flavor. This difference in texture 
and flavor accounts for the difference in price. 

But both of these drawbacks to the cheaper cuts of 
meat may be removed by proper cooking. Tough meats can 
be made tender by proper cooking, and by proper cooking 
we can develop and improve the flavor of the cheaper cuts 
until they are but little, if any, less palatable than the expen-r 
sive cuts. 

MAKING TOUGH MEATS TENDER 

Tough meats may be made tender in four ways: 

1. Prolonged cooking at low heat. 

2. Cooking in vinegar. 

3. Pounding the meat. 

4. Chopping the meat. 

24 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 
1. PROLONGED COOKING AT LOW HEAT 

All muscles consist of bundles of tiny fibres, or shreds. 
These under the miscroscope are seen to have the form of 
tubes. 

The fibres are held together in bundles and groups by 
a thin membrane known as connective tissue. When this 
membrane, or connective tissue, is heated in water or steam 
it is changed into gelatin, which allows the fibres to fall apart. 

This process goes on quickly if the meat is tender but 
more slowly if it is tough. 

In the prolonged cooking care must be taken to keep 
the meat well below the boiling point. If the meat is boiled 
for a long time two things take place: First, the connective 
tissue is dissolved; second, the fibres themselves are hardened 
and shortened and thickened. The former is the thing to be 
especially desired, but the latter is not. When the meat is 
cooked well below the boiling point the connective tissues are 
dissolved and the fibres remain tender. 

Good meat may be ruined if this important point is not 
observed. 

2. COOKING IN VINEGAR 

The connective tissue is also dissolved when soaked in 
acetic acid, and this is the acid found in vinegar, and which 
makes it sour. 

For this reason it is possible to make tough meat tender 
by soaking in vinegar or vinegar and water. 

Sour beef is a palatable dish. The recipe is given here: 

Sour Beef 

Cover a piece of beef with vinegar, or with half vinegar 
and half water, to which may be added sliced onion, bay 
leaves, a few mixed whole spice, and salt. Allow to stand 
a week in winter, or three or four days in summer; turn once 
a day and keep covered. When ready to cook, brown the 
meat in fat, strain the liquid over it and cook until tender. 
Thicken the gravy with flour. 

Sour Beefsteak 

Round steak may be cooked in water in which there is 
a little vinegar, or if the time is sufficient, it may be soaked 
for a few^ hours in vinegar and then cooked in a casserole or 
in some similar way, or it may be friend, or braized. 

25 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 
3. POUNDED MEAT 

Pounding meat before cooking is a very good way of 
making it tender, but while it has the advantage of breaking 
down the tough tissues it has the disadvantage of being 
likely to drive out the juices and with them the flavor. A 
very good way of escaping this difficulty is pounding flour 
into the meat. The flour catches and retains the juices. 
Below are given the recipes for two very palatable dishes in 
which this is done: 

Steak Stew 

Pound flour into both sides of a round steak, using as 
much flour as the meat will take up. Use a meat pounder 
or the edge of a heavy plate. Fry in drippings or other fat, 
then add w^ater enough to cover it. Cover the dish tightly 
and allow to simmer for two hours or until tender. The 
gravy will be already thickened. 

Spanish Steele 

Take a piece of round steak weighing two pounds and 
about an inch thick; pound until thin, season with salt and 
Cayenne pepper, cover with a layer of bacon or salt pork, 
cut into thin slices, roll, and tie with a cord. Pour around 
it half a cupful of milk and half a cupful of water. Place in 
a covered baking dish and cook two hours, basting occa- 
sionally. 

In place of the round steak in the two recipes given 
above, slices of cheaper and tougher cuts of beef may be 
used, but must be cooked longer. 

CHOPPED MEAT 

Chopping meat is one of the best ways to make 
tough and inexpensive meat tender. By chopping it we 
divide it finely and thus cut the connective tisue into small 
bits. Such meats have another advantage in that they may 
be cooked quickly and economically. 

In broiling chopped meat the fact should be kept in 
mind that there is no reason why it should not be cooked 
like the best and most expensive tenderloin. The only reason 

26 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

that ever existed for difference in treatment was the tough- 
ness of the connective tissue, and this feature has been over- 
come by the chopping. 

The ideal to be reached in broiling steak is to sear the 
surface very quickly, so that the juices which contain the 
greater part of the flavoring of the meat shall be kept in 
and then allow the heat to penetrate to the inside until the 
whole mass is cooked to the taste of the family. 

To pass the point w^here the meat ceases to be puffy and 
juicy and becomes flat and hard is very undesirable, as the 
palatability is then lost. 

Exactly the same ideal should be kept in mind in broil- 
ing chopped meat. If this were done hard, compact, taste- 
less balls or cakes of meat would be served less often. 

To begin with, the broiler should be even more care- 
fully greased than for a whole steak. This makes it possible 
to form the balls or cakes of chopped meat with very little 
pressure without running the risk of having them pulled to 
pieces by adhering to the wires of the broiler. They should 
be heated on both sides even more quickly than the w^hole 
steak, because the chopping has provided more w^ays of 
escape for the juices, and these openings should be sealed 
by searing as soon as possible. The interior should then be 
cooked to the taste of the family just as the steak is. 

Chopped raw meat of almost any kind can be very 
quickly made into a savory dish by cooking it with water 
or with water and milk for a short time, then thickening with 
flour and butter, and adding different seasonings as relished, 
either pepper and salt alone, or onion juice, celery, or 
tomato. 

Other forms of chopped meat are Hamburg steak and 
meat loaf. 

We have seen that the cheaper cuts of meat have two 
disadvantages: toughness and lack of flavor. We have seen 
the four methods by which we can overcome the toughness. 
We shall now consider how we may overcome the lack of 
flavor. 

27 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

DEVELOPING AND IMPROVING THE FLAVOR 

OF MEAT 

By careful cooking we can develop and improve the 
flavor of meats in these three ways: 

1. Retaining the natural flavor. 

2. Browning the meat. 

3. Adding vegetables or other flavors to otherwise 
tasteless meats. 

1. RETAINING THE NATURAL FLAVOR 

It is extremely hard to retain the flavor-giving juices in 
a piece of meat so tough as to require prolonged cooking, 
but this may be accomplished by searing the exterior of the 
meat before cooking. This prevents the escape of the juices. 

Searing may be done by plunging the meat into boiling 
water, holding it in a flame, or placing it in a hot oven. 

2. BROWNED MEAT 

Browning meat brings out flavors very agreeable to most 
people; outside slices of roast meat have this flaovr to a 
marked degree. Aside from roasting, brovirning is usually 
accomplished by heating the meat in a frying pan in hot fat. 
Care should be taken that the fat is not scorched. 

The meat can afterward be stewed, as in braized meat, 
or roasted. 

The chief reason for the bad opinion in which fried food is held 
by many is that it almost always means eating burned fat. When fat is 
heated too high it splits up into fatty acids and glycerin, and from the 
glycerin is formed a substance (acrolein) w^hich has a very irritating 
effect upon the mucuous membrane. All w^ill recall that the fumes of 
scorched fat make the eyes water. It is not surprising that such a sub- 
stance, if taken into the stomach, should cause disturbance there and in 
the intestines. Fat in itself is a very valuable food, and there is reason 
for objection to it only if it is scorched. 

3. ADDING VEGETABLE OR OTHER FLAVORS 

The two methods just mentioned increase the flavor of 
the meat itself. There are countless ways of adding flavor to 
otherwise tasteless meat, using vegetables, herbs, and spices. 
Any cook book will give numerous recipes. 

28 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

The flavor of the meats to be seasoned will be much 
improved if the vegetables are fried in a little fat before 
being cooked with the meat. There is almost no limit to the 
number of savory combinations that may be made. 

Braized Beef 
Braizing beef is an excellent method of bringing out 
the flavor of tough meat that must be made tender by cook- 
ing a long time. 

Brown the meat, place in closely covered kettle with 
small quantity of water and flavoring vegetables, such as 
onion, carrot, etc. Cook until tender. Make lots of gravy. 
Browning the meat adds to the flavor. The slow cooking in 
water makes it tender. 

Casserole Roast 

Brown round or rump of beef in fat from a slice of fried 
pork. Place in casserole with chopped carrot, turnip, onion, 
celery, etc., around it. Add two cups of water or stock, cover 
and cook in hot oven three hours. Baste occasionally. (Instead 
of a casserole you can use a heavy dish covered with a 
plate. ) 



Having shown how meat economy can be secured by 
the use of the cheaper cuts of meat, we will now show how 
it can be secured by using the fats, bone, trimmings, and 
left-overs. 

FATS 

About one-fifth of all meat is pure fat — lard or tallow. 
Even round steak contains 10% of fat. The food value of 
this fat is equal to that of lard or butter. If the fat of the 
meat is not eaten at the table or eaten aferward a pecuniary 
loss results. The fats from all meat should be saved and 
used in place of lard and butter in cooking. 

A double boiler is the best utensil to use in trying out 
small portions of fat. With this there is no danger of burn- 
ing the fat. Pour boiling water over the fat. Boil thoroughly 
and set away to cool. The cold fat may be removed in a 

29 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

solid layer and the particles of meat clinging to the bottom 
of the cake may be scraped off. 

BONES 

Almost any meat bones can be used in making soup. If 
a little of the meat is left on, the soup is better. 

Rib bones, if they have a little meat left on them, can 
be grilled or roasted into very palatable , dishes. High-class 
restaurants serve spare ribs (pork ribs), and braised ribs of 
beef. 

Marrow is a very valuable food. It can be removed 
from the bones after cooking and served on toast, or other- 
wise. 

TRIMMINGS 

Trimmings from meat can always be put to good use 
in the soup kettle, and they may be used in various dishes, 
such as meat pies, meat stews, hash, chopped meat, meat 
cakes, meat salads, or cooked with beans or other vegetables. 
They may be recooked, and combined with vegetables and 
pie crust, and other materials. 

LEFT-OVERS 

Left-over meat can be used in the ways mentioned 
above for meat trimmings, and many savory and delicious 
dishes made from it. 

The number of tasty dishes which a good cook can 
make out of the meat trimmings and left-overs is almost end- 
less. More of time and skill is required in cooking them 
than in cooking the expensive cuts of meat, but the real 
superiority of a good cook lies not so much in the cooking 
of fancy dishes as in preparing attractive dishes from the 
inexpensive foods. 



30 



Part Three 
Cheap Fuel Foods 

We have seen that we can save from five to 15 
cents per day for each person by choosing the cheaper 
sources of protein, or repair foods. 

We will now consider cheap sources of fuel food, 
and we will find that we can effect as great a saving 
here. 

Remembering that the calory is the unit for measuring 
energy (heat and power) let us consider the following table, 
which gives the energy values of foods, arranged in order of 
their "cheapness" in energy, at ordinary prices. 

Note that column 1 gives the name of the food; column 
2 gives the number of calories per pound of the food; col- 
umn 3 gives the usual prices for these foods; column 4 gives 
the numiber of calories a cent will buy at this price; column 
5 is left blank for you to fill in, with pencil, the present 
prices of these foods; and from this you can fill in column 6 
with the number of calories a cent will buy at the present 
prices. You calculate this by dividing the number of calories 
per pound in the food, as shown in column 2, by the present 
price per pound, as shown in column 5. 

You should fill in these two colunuis, and keep them up 
to date, so that you will know at all times just what are the 
cheapest sources of energy. 



31 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 
Table 7 — Energy (Fuel) Values of Foods 

Fuel 
Calories Usual Value 

per Cost per Calories Present Calories 
KIND OF FOOD Pound.. Pound for Ic Prices for Ic 

Com 1 800 

Oats 1 720 

Wheat 1 750 

Soy Beans 1970 

Buckwheat 1600 

Rye 1 750 

Co'wpeas 1 655 

Granulated Sugar I860 

Corn Bread 1205 

Potato 385 

Beef Suet 3510 

Navy Bean, dry 1605 

White Bread 1215 

Lard 4080 

Whole Wheat Bread 1140 

Molasses 1 290 

Rice 1 720 

Peanuts (shelled) 2560 

Shredded Cocoanut 3125 

Cocoanut (fresh) 2805 

Raisins 1 605 

Bacon 3030 

Peanut Butter 2825 

Smoked Ham 1940 

Pork Chops 1580 

Banana 460 

Butter 34 1 

Cream Cheese 19^0 

Macaroni (dry) 1660 

Whole Milk 310 

Lamb Chops 1540 

Parsnips 230 

Onions 225 

Honey 1520 

Dried Fig 14 75 

Maple Sugar 1 540 

Beef Steak 1 130 

Skim Milk 1 65 

Buttermilk 160 

Apple 290 

Cream 865 

Cottage Cheese 510 

Egg 700 

Grapes 450 

Codfish 325 

Oysters 235 

Salmon 903 

Halibut 454 



Pound 


for Ic 


I.5c 


1200 


1.7c 


983 


2.5c 


700 


3.0c 


657 


2.5c 


640 


3.0c 


583 


4.0c 


414 


6.0c 


310 


4.0c 


301 


1.3c 


296 


12.0c 


292 


6.0c 


267 


5.0c 


243 


17.0c 


240 


5.0c 


228 


6.3c 


205 


10.0c 


172 


15.0c 


167 


19.0c 


164 


10.0c 


280 


lO.Oc 


161 


22.5c 


135 


25.0c 


113 


18.0c 


108 


16.0c 


99 


5.0c 


92 


37.0c 


92 


2i.0c 


89 


12.5c 


133 


4.0c 


78 


20.0c 


77 


3.0c 


77 


3.0c 


75 


22.0c 


69 


22.0c 


67 


23.0c 


67 


17.0c 


67 


2.5c 


66 


2.5c 


64 


5.0c 


58 


15.0c 


58 


12.0c 


43 


20.0c 


35 


20.0c 


23 


16.0c 


20 


20.0c 


12 


15.0c 


60 


12.0c 


38 



A man at moderately hard work requires about 3,000 
calories of energy per day. 

The most commonly used fuel foods are cereal break- 
fast foods, bread, lard, and potatoes. You can very greatly 
reduce the cost of the necessary fuel food by using the mfor- 
mation contained on the following pages. 

32 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 
BREAKFAST FOOD ECONOMY 

The number and variety of cereal breakfast foods at 
present on the market are very large, and no class of foods 
is more extensively or ingeniously advertised. 

Some astonishing and preposterous claims are made for 
them, some of them being advertised to contain more nour- 
ishment than the same weight of beef. 

No class of foods varies so greatly in price, although all 
have about the same food value. A very great saving can 
be made by selecting the cheaper forms of the cereals. 

The following table compares the various cereal break- 
fast foods. The figures are taken from Farmers' Bulletin No. 
249 of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



Percent 
KIND OF FOOD of Protein 

Oatmeal 16.1 

Oat Groats 16.1 

Whole Wheat 11.9 

Rolled Wheat 10.2 

Flaked Wheat Crisped and 

Malted Ready to Eat 12.1 

Puffed Wheat 12.0 

Shredded Wheat 10.6 

Wheat, Crumbed and Malted 

like Grape Nuts 12.2 

Graham or Whole Wheat 

Flour 13.5 

Whole Barley 12.4 

Whole Corn 10.5 

Puffed Corn 11.0 

Corn Meal 9.2 

Corn Flakes 10.1 

Whole Rice 6.9 

Puffed Rice 6.2 

Bread 9.2 



Values of Cereals 










Number 








of Cents 








this Food to 








Provide the 








Necessary 


Calories 






3,000 


of Energy 


Price 


Calories Calories 


per Pound 


per Pound 


for Ic 


Daily 


1767 


4c 


442 


7c 


1767 


3c 


589 


5c 


1750 


2c 


875 


3 Vac 


1541 


5c 


308 


lOc 


1526 


11c 


139 


27c 


1760 


60c 


29 


103c 


1521 


I2y2c 


122 


24y2C 


1623 


13c 


123 


24c 


1670 


4c 


418 


7c 


1570 


2c 


785 


4c 


1800 


iy2c 


1200 


2y2c 


1820 


60c 


30 


lOOc 


1662 


3c 


554 


5 Vac 


1734 


13c 


133 


22 Vac 


1546 


8c 


193 


ISVaC 


1639 


60c 


26 


115c 


1215 


5c 


243 


12 Vac 



It is important to note that while the food value of the 
various cereal foods b very nearly the same, the price varies 
greatly, and the number of calories that can be bought for 
one cent ranges from 26 in puffed rice to 1,200 in com. 

A very large saving can be made by using those cereals 
that provide the largest number of calories for each cent 
invested. 



33 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

These cheaper cereal foods are oats, corn, and wheat, 
and oatmeal, cornmesd, and grediam flour. 

When you pay 15c for four ounces of puflFed wheat or 
corn or rice, you are paying at the rate of 60c a pound, or 
$36 a bushel, for grain that has no greater food value than 
the wheat or corn or oats that you get out of the store for 
$1.00 to $2.00 per bushel. 

OAT GROATS 

Many people prefer the crisp prepared breakfast cereals 
to mush made from oats, corn, or wheat. 

A very satisfactory substitute for the high-priced pre- 
pared cereals, and a delicious dish, can be made at home 
from Oat Groats. 

In the process of milling field oats into rolled oats, the 
oats are first hulled and then rolled. The whole hulled 
grains, before being rolled, are called oat groats. Your gro- 
cer can get them for you at less than the cost of rolled oats. 

To prepare, put half a cupful of them in a skillet over 
a hot fire and puff them. After a few trials you will be able 
to puff them to twice their original size. After puffing them, 
pour them into a bread pan, and when enough have been 
puffed, roast them in the oven until they are a rich brown. 

They may be served in either of two ways: 

1 . Whole, with sugar and cream, or milk. 

2. Ground (in a coffee mill or hand mill), with sugai 
and milk. 

If served ground, with milk, the oats absorb much of 
the milk and taste richer than when served whole, with 
cream. 

Parched oat groats have a rich, nutty flavor, and are 
fully as palatable as the high-priced package cereals. 

One pound, served with one quart of milk, supply as 
much protein and body fuel as one and one-half pounds of 
bread and four eggs, and cost less than one-third as much. 

The remarkable saving that can be made by using 
parched oat groats instead of the high-priced prepared cereals 
is shown in the following table. Column 3 shows the cost 

34 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

of the 3,000 calories required daily, and column 4 shows the 
saving by using oat groats. 

Table 9 — Saving by Use of Oat Groats 

Saving 

Calories Cost of by Use of 

KIND OF FOOD for Ic 3,000 Calories Groats 

Oat Groads 589 5.1c 

Shredded Wheat 122 24.6c 19.5 

Wheat, Malted, Cooked and Crushed (like Grape 

Nuts) 123 24.5c 19.4 

Puffed Wheat 29 1 03.3c 98.2 

Corn Flakes 133 22.6c 17.5 

Puffed Corn 30 100.0c 94.9 

Bread 243 12.4c 7.3 

Parched Wheat 

Parched wheat ground fairly fine in a coffee mill or 
hand mill and served with sugar and milk makes a palatable 
breakfast food at even less cost than oat groats. Its use will 
result in striking savings. However, it is somewhat less palat- 
able than oat groats. 

The parched wheat can be boiled either whole, or 
coarsely ground, and served with sugar and cream, or milk. 

Corn may be served in the same way as wheat. 

Home Ground Wheat 

Wheat ground at home in a hand mill makes a delicious 
breakfast cereal, and is low in cost compared with the other 
breakfast foods. 

The wheat should first be washed until the water is 
clear, then spread on a cloth to dry before grinding. 

It should be cooked for three hours at least, and is 
better cooked all day or night. Soaking for several hours 
will shorten the time of cooking. A fireless cooker will be 
a great aid in cooking this food. 

Mush from Home Ground Wheat 

Into a quart of hot or cold water put four level tea- 
spoonfuls of salt, then put in a cupful of cosursely ground 
wheat. 

If the water is cold no stirring is necesssu-y. The water 
should be heated gradusilly after the wheat is added. If the 

35 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

wheat is put into hot water, the mixture should be stirred 
until it is thickened a little. 

If skim milk is used instead of water, the value of the 
dish is greatly increased. The use of a quart of skim milk, 
instead of a quart of water, will add about as much protein 
(the repair food) as there is in four eggs. It will not, of 
course, supply the fat which the eggs supply, but, on the 
other hand, it adds over one and one-half ounces of milk 
sugar and some other valuable mineral substances. 

BREAD 

Bread is the most commonly used energy food. But 
bread is relatively high in price, and other cereal foods pro- 
vide the same energy at a much smaller cost. 

The way to save bread is to eat more of the cereals 
(oats, com, barley and wheat) in their simpler forms. Pound 
for pound, these are as nourishing as bread, and cost far 
less. We can make a very important saving by using them 
as bread substitutes. 

Refer to column 5 of the table on page 33 and you will 
see that many other cereal foods provide more calories of 
energy for each cent invested than does bread. 

One cent spent for bread will buy 243 calories, while 
the same amount spent for oatmeal will buy 442 calories, or 
nearly twice as much; whUe one cent spent for whole wheat 
will buy more than three times as much — 875 calories. 

There are three ways in which we may use more of the 
cereals in their cheaper form, thus saving bread. 

1. By using more of the breakfast cereals. 

2. By extending the flavor of meat into cereals cooked 
with meat. 

3. By using special preparations of the whole cereals. 

1. Using More Breakfast Cereals 

Enough has already been said about breakfast cereals to 
show how to secure the greatest value for the money spent. 

36 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

Use these cheaper cereals as much as possible; they provide 
energy at a fraction of the cost of bread. 

(Cold corn meal mush, sliced and fried crisply brown, 
makes a palatable substitute for bread, at less than half the 
cost.) 

2. Extending the Flavor of Meat 

By cooking with meat some of the preparations of the 
cereals we get a dish in which the meat flavor is extended 
through a large amount of material which would otherwise 
be lacking in palatability. 

In this way we can very greatly increase the amount of 
the cheaper cereals that can be substituted for bread. Often 
no bread w^ill be eaten. 

(Cereal thus flavored does not make a meat substitute. 
It only makes starchy foods more palatable to increase their 
use as bread substitutes.) 

Meat Pie 

Boil a pound of any kind of meat with carrot or onion, 
then cut up. Mix with six or eight small potatoes, separately 
boiled and cut up. Put into a baking dish. For a crust take 
a cup of mashed potatoes, add ten tablespoonfuls of flour, a 
spoonful of shortening, and enough water to make a dough. 
Season to taste. Put the crust over the meat and potatoes, 
and bake twenty minutes in a hot oven. 

Meat and Tomato Pie 

Hash any kind of cold meat. If fresh tomatoes are 
used, peel and slice them. If canned tomatoes are use, drain 
off the liquid. Place a layer of tomato in a baking dish, then 
a layer of meat, and over the two sprinkle flour (or corn 
meal), pepper and salt; repeat until the dish is nearly full. 
Put in an extra layer of tomato and cover the whole with a 
layer of crust or bread crumbs. Boiled potatoes may be 
used with the meat. Bake thoroughly in a moderate oven. 

Corn Meal Mush 

Corn meal furnishes two and one-half times as much 
fuel per cent invested as does bread. Its use may be largely 
increased by combining with meat. 

37 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 
Mush Flavored with Egg and Bacon 

In one pan fry minced bacon. In another pan fry cold 
sliced corn meal mush. When the mush is crisply brown, 
scramble the mush and stir eggs into it. When the eggs are 
cooked, stir in the fried bacon, together with the bacon fat. 

A small amount of eggs and bacon will flavor a large 
amount of the mush and make it so palatable that a large 
amount of it will be eaten. 

This provides a hot bread more palatable and more 
nourishing than light bread, at less than half the cost. 

Meal in Soup 

Boil a soup bone or ham bone until the meat is tender. 
Mince the meat, add the soup, and for each quart of soup 
stir in 1 Yl cups of corn meal. Cook thoroughly. When cool, 
fry crisply without grease, and serve alone or with eggs. 

This hot bread has a delicious meaty flavor, and is 
very satisfying and nourishing. 

Other cereals can be used in place of corn meal, with 
equally good results. 

AH kinds of meat scraps and beef or hog fat may be 
used in this way. 

Hominy and Sausage 

Take 4 cups boiled hominy. Add salt and pepper. 
Add 1 cup sausage meat. Mash together thoroughly. Form 
into cakes and fry as sausage. 

Other chopped or ground meats can be used in the 
same way. 

Meat Pie 

Meat pies are one of the best ways in which to extend 
the flavor of meats. Bake in a fairly deep dish, the sides of 
which are lined with dough. Put into the dish the cooked 
meat, cut into small pieces. Add vegetables to suit. Pout 
a gravy over the meat. Cover with a layer of biscuit dough 
and bake. 

Cheese Combination 

Take two cups of boiled rice, hominy or cornmeal. Stii 
in three cups milk. Beat into this 2 beaten eggs and 1 cup 
grated cheese. Pour into buttered baking dish, dot top with 

38 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

butter, sprinkle with bread crumbs, and bake 20 or 30 min- 
utes, until light brown. 

Cheese Relish 

Put 1 cup milk into double boiler. Salt and pepper to 
taste. When hot stir in 1 cup grated cheese, cook 5 min- 
utes, add 3 crumbed crackers or crumbed slice bread. Serve 
on fried mush. This provides a very effective way to extend 
the flavor of cheese through a large amount of cereal. 

SPECIAL PREPARATIONS OF WHOLE CEREALS 

Good, clean whole wheat can be obtained everywhere 
at a moderate price. By "clean" is meant free from dirt 
and also free from other seeds, like those of weeds. 

From whole wheat a number of valuable dishes can be 
made, and at a low cost compared with foods bought in 
stores. 

Wheat contains all the elements of nutrition. It con- 
tains every one of the 1 6 chemical and mineral elements 
necessary to maintain life. 

Whole wheat contains fibre and fatty substances which 
make it more laxative than white flour, and many of the 
common breakfast foods on the market. It corrects consti- 
pation. It contains the bran coat which is so useful in keep- 
ing the alimentary canal clean and healthy. 

Dr. Wiley, the famous pure food specialist, says: "There 
is no better balanced ration in the shape of one simple food 
substance than is to be found in whole wheat. Especially 
when combined with milk you have practically a perfect 
ration." 

It is possible to grind raw whole wheat in an ordinsiry 
coffee mill fine enough for use in bread making. This pro- 
vides flour at less than half the cost otherwise paid. See page 
35 for directions for cleaning the wheat. 

Bread Made from Home Ground Wheat 

3 cupfuls of wheat meal (or 2 cupfuls of wheat meed 
and 1 cupful of white flour). 

1 ^/4 cupfuls lukewarm water. 
y^ csdke compressed yeast. 

39 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

1 level teaspoonful of sale 

1 level teaspoonful of sugar. 

1 tablespoonful of shortening (if desired). 

Mix the yeast with a small amount of lukewarm water, 
dissolve the sugar and salt in the rest of the w^ater, mix the 
two solutions and add all the meal (or meal and flour). 

Mix thoroughly so that all the liquid is incorporated into 
the mass. Cover and set in a moderately w^arm place to rise. 

After about 2 hours, or when well risen, add the short- 
ening and knead w^ell, adding a little meal, if necessary, until 
a smooth dough has been formed. 

Cover and set aside again to rise for about 1 hour. 
Knead lightly, and form into loaves. Place in a greased pan 
and allow to rise until just double in bulk. (This is only 
two-thirds the usual rise in the pan when white bread is 
made.) Bake slowly for three-quarters of an hour. 

Wheat Meal with Meat 

The flavor of meat may be extended into this home 
ground wheat, the same as into corn meal, as described on 
page 38. 

Parched Wheat 

One way to make whole wheat attractive, especially to 
children, is to parch it. But this must be carefully done. 

The wheat should be washed, then put, wet, into a 
skillet over a hot fire. Care must be taken that the wheat 
does not scorch. 

If the fire is hot enough the wheat w^ill "pop", the skin 
of every grain bursting. After this use less heat until the 
wheat is a rich golden brown; then pour into a dish and add 
butter. Parched wheat has a rich, nutty flavor, and is very 
palatable. 

Parched wheat is especially beneficial to children. It 
supplies the crisp, coarse material that will make their teeth 
clean and strong; it is a certain cure for constipation, and it 
provides the important minerals and vitamines so largely lost 
in milling wheat into white flour. 

Children who have all the parched wheat they want eat 
far less bread, to the benefit both of themselves and of your 
pocketbook. 

40 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

Carmelized Wheat 

Another way to make parched wheat attractive is to 
carmelize it. Just before pouring it out of the skillet, sprinkle 
a small amount of sugeur over it, stirring constantly. The heat 
will melt and brown the sugar, and the sugar will form ^ 
thin layer around the grains, and when the wheat is poured 
out the sugar will harden into a crisp coat, and you have a 
delicious food. 

HuUess Barley 

Hulless barley costs less than wheat, and has about the 
same food value. It may be parched and used the same as 
wheat. 

When parched it swells up two or three times its nat- 
ural size, and bursts the skin, almost ilke popcorn, and makes 
a very good substitute for popcorn. It has a rich, nutty 
flavor. The cost is less than ]/4 that of popcorn. 

Parched Corn 

Corn may be parched the same as wheat and barley. 
In these parched grains w^e have an exceedingly cheap food — 
each pound of them equal to 12/5 lbs. of bread, at a frac- 
tion of the cost. 

Cereal Coffee 

Several substitutes for coffee are on the market, sold at 
various prices, but none of them cheap. 

You can make your cereaJ coffee at home, at a small 
fraction of the cost of the commercial coffee substitutes. 

Take any grain, or ground grain, and roast in the oven 
until dark brown; add two teaspoonfuls of molasses or sugar, 
to each pint of the cereal, and roast until very dark brown. 
A little experimenting will enable you to make a coffee sub- 
stitute equal to any on the market. 

In preparing this drink, it should be boiled from 1 5 to 
30 minutes. 

FATS 

Fats are one of the important fuel foods. This chapter 
tells how you can save 2c or more per day for each grown 
member of your family in the use of fats (butter, lard, etc.). 

41 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

According to government reports the average man 
requires about 4 ounces ( Y4, lb. ) of fats per day. This costs, 
in ordinary times, from food sources commonly used, about 
6 to 8 cents per day. 

By using home made cooking compounds, directions for 
preparing which are given here, this cost can be reduced at 
least one-fourth. A further saving can be made by using 
other directions given here. 

Reference to Table VII, on page 32, will show that all 
fats and oils, both vegetable and animal, contain about the 
same number of calories per pound, and according to gov- 
ernment experts, they are equally healthful when of good 
quality. 

LARD SUBSTITUTE 

The most commonly used cooking fat is lard. Of late 
years lard has been largely supplanted by the widely adver- 
tised cooking compounds, like cottolene, cottosuet, and crisco. 
Many people prefer these, even though they cost more than 
lard. 

You can make at home your own cooking compound, 
equally as good as the high priced commercial compounds, 
and having the same food values, at a cost less than half of 
the commercial compounds, and very much below the cost of 
lard. 

When the commercial cooking compounds sell at 30c 
per lb., and w^hen lard sells at 20c per lb., beef suet and cot- 
tonseed oil cost 1 2c to 15c per lb. Thus the home made 
compounds can be made at about half the cost of the com- 
mercial cooking compounds, or about three-fourths the cost 
of lard. 

Home Made Cooking Compounds 

Take equal parts of beef tallow and cottonseed oil, heat 
until melted, and mix thoroughly. Allow^ to cool, stirring 
occasionally while cooling to avoid the danger of the hard 
fat separating out of the oil. To make a softer product, use 
more oil — to make it harder, use more tallow. Mutton tal- 
low can be used w^ith equally good results. The same results 
can be had by adding the oil to the finely chopped beef suet 
or mutton fat, then rendering, as described on page 29. ^ 

This home made cooking compound is one of the cheap- 
est; fuel foods to be had, only the cereals being cheaper. A 

42 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

pound of it contains about 4,080 calories. At 15c per lb., 
this is at the rate of 272 calories for each cent invested. At 
ordinary prices, rice provides 172 calories, pork chops 199, 
bacon 135, lamb chops 77, and butter 92. 

It is the truest economy to use as much of this as 
desired and save on butter, lard, and other facts. 

MERGERS 

Fortunes have been made by shrewd promoters in sell- 
ing so-called "mergers'* to the public, at prices ranging up 
to $5.00. It is claimed by these promoters that by using the 
merger in making home made cooking compound the aver- 
age family can save more than the cost of the merger every 
year. 

This is undoubtedly true, but it is also true that the same 
results can be obtained without their high priced merger, by 
using common kitchen utensils. 

The effect is obtained by stirring the compound as it 
cools, keeping it mixed, or "merged", and this can be done 
with a spoon as well as with an expensive "merger". 

FATS HEALTHFUL FOODS 

Some people consider fats hard to digest, but govern- 
ment experiments have shown that when fats cause digestive 
troubles it is due to one of three causes — 

1. Eating too much fat; 

2. Eating scorched fat; 

3. Eating rancid fat. 

When fat is overheated a chemical compound called 
acrolein is formed. This substance is especially irritating to 
the mucous membranes which line the eyes, nose throat, 
stomach and intestines. When fats are scorched, acrolein 
vapors are given off which cause the eyes to water. Scorched 
fat in the stomach and intestines may cause serious inflam- 
mation. 

Experiments shov/ that butter and lard scorch at lower 
temperatures than beef or mutton fat, and vegetable oils at 
higher than all. For this reason vegetable fats are prefer- 
able for frying, or deep frying, where hot fats are required. 

The home made cooking compound described above is 
especially desirable for frying, for the reason that it can be 
heated very hot without scorching. 

43 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 
HOW TO ECONOMIZE IN FRYING 

In frying, all foods absorb some fat, and this increases 
their nutritive value. Up to a certain point this is advan- 
tageous, but an excess of fat soaked up by the food impairs 
the flavor and texture of the food, and is not only a waste, 
but may cause serious digestive troubles. 

Experiments show that for each of the fats there is a 
certain tennperature at which the food soaks up the least fat. 
For animal fats this is about 350 deg. F., and for vegetable 
fats (cottonseed and cocoanut oil) about 390 deg. F. For 
cooking compounds the temperature should be hsJf way be- 
tween, or about 370 deg. F. One-fourth more fat is soaked 
up if the fats are 20 degrees cooler. 

A close idea of the temperature can be obtained by not- 
ing the time taken to brown a one-inch cube of bread com- 
pletely immersed in the fat. Vegetable fats are at the best 
temperature for frying when the bread cube is cookd to a 
golden brown color in Yl minute. Lard, beef fat, or mutton 
fat are best when the bread is cooked to a golden brown in 
1 minute. 

In pan frying, or shallow frying, the fats are best which 
scorch at high temperatures, compound being better than lard. 

BEEF BRISKET FAT 

The fat from beef brisket is much softer than that from 
other parts of the beef, and czm be used in place of lard in 
shortening bread, and in any cakes in which the flavoring 
used masks the flavor of the meat. The cost of this fat is 
far lower than that of lard. 

To Render Fat 

Fat scraps contain more or less muscular or connective 
tissue. This should be removed by rendering before the fat 
is available for most cooking purposes. 

A common method is to cut into small pieces and heat 
in an open kettle, until the fat is separated. Remove the 
scraps, or cracklings, by straining. The scraps may be used 
in shortening hot bread, and impart a very agreeable meaty 
flavor. 

44 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

A better way to render is to chop the scraps finely in a 
meat chopper. Heat in a double boiler until completely 
melted. Then strain through a thick cloth. 

The advantage of this method is that since the meat is 
finely chopped, it may be rendered at a low temperature, so 
there is no danger of scorching. Also there is no disagreeable 
odor in the room during the process. 

Clarifying 

After the fat is rendered it must usually be clarified. 
Melt the fat with equal part of water. Heat for a few 
minutes near boiling point. Stir occasionally. Let cool, re- 
move the layer of fat, and scrape off bits of meat and other 
miaterial which may adhere to the under side. 

Undesirable odors and flavors can be removed by heat- 
ing with a good grade of charcoal — 12 pieces the size of a 
walnut for each pound of fat. Heat in a double boiler, and 
allow the charcoal to remain tw^o hours, stirring occasionally. 
Strain through flannel or other closely woven cloth to remove 
the particles of charcoal. 

SAVORY FATS 

Some people object to the odor of beef and mutton 
fats. Savory fats are fats to which have been added some 
strong seasoning material, such as sage, marjoram or thjmie. 
The flavors present in these seasoning materials are taken up 
by the fats and mask the original flavors. 

Recipe for Savory Fats 

Chop fine 1 lb. of unrendered fat. Add teaspoonful 
thyme, teaspoonful marjoram, j/2 teaspoon rubbed sage, 1 
teaspoon salt, ]/q teaspoon pepper. Render in a double 
boiler and strain through fine cloth. 

Other recipes will suggest themselves. If the fat is 
already rendered, simply melt it and add the seasonings as 
above. Heat gently an hour, and strain. 

Potato chips or French fried potatoes cooked in these 
fats will have no noticeable mutton or beef flavor. 

Remember that the energy value of all fats is practically 
the same — that the difference in price is due to flavor and 
appearance. 

45 



Part Four— Appendix 



A HOME MADE FIRELESS COOKER 

Cooking experts are agreed that a fireless cooker is un- 
doubtedly one of the greatest time saving and money saving 
devices that can be put into a kitchen. 

Over a gas flame, or any other flame, heat is produced 
constantly, but is not retained. The fire must be kept going 
constantly, as the heat is lost as rapidly as the fire can create 
it. Only a very small part of the heat created is absorbed 
by the actual cooking process; all the rest is wasted fuel, 
for which you pay. 

Once cooking has been thoroughly begun, it will continue 
as long as the heat is retained. The secret of heat retention 
is found in insulation; that is, placing the heated foods in a 
vessel surrounded by materials that will not allow the heat 
to escape. 

Fireless cookers can be bought at prices ranging from 
$15 to $40, and experts are agreed that they will pay for 
themselves in a very few months. 

However, if you do not care to invest that much money, 
a very satisfactory fireless cooker can be made at home at 
slight expense. 

The dimensions given are for a 1 0-quart cooker. For 
a 4-quart cooker, subtract two inches from the dimensions 
given. It costs but little more to make a 1 0-quart cooker, but 
the small cooker will give better results for small quantities 
of food. 

List of Materials Needed 

1. A closely built box, 20 by 20 by 20 inches, inside 

2. A lid to fit, and, if desired, hinges and a fastener. 

3. A can, or well, of about 32-gauge galvanized iron, 12 
in. in diameter and 1 2 in. deep, with bottom, but no top. 

4. A flange, of the same material, with four edges turned 
up two inches; the flange to be 20 in. square after the 
edges are turned up. (This is to fit inside the box.) 
The flange to have a hole in center, with edge of hole 
burred down Y& i^i- to fit snugly inside the can, or well, 

46 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

but not attached. The diameter of this hole in the 
flange must be |4 inch less than the inside diameter of 
the can, or well. Your tinner will understand exactly 
what to do. 

5. A cover to fit into burred opening in flange. 

6. A cushion or pad of denim, 20 in. square and 4 in. 
thick, stuffed tightly with crumpled newspaper. 

7. Ten sheets of asbestos paper, 16 in. square, and a strip 
of asbestos paper 12 in. wide and 4 yds. long. (Short 
strips to make up this length can be used.) 

8. A soapstone disk about 1 Vi in. thick and 1 in. in diame- 
ter, with small ring countersunk in center. 

9. A quantity of newspapers. 

How to Build the Cooker 

For insulation, use newspapers. Crush single sheets be- 
tween the hands. Pack a layer over the bottom of the box, 
pounding it in solidly with a heavy piece of wood. When 
the layer is 4 in. thick, finish it off as near level as possible. 
Place the ten sheets of asbestos paper (16 in. square) 
on top of this layer of paper, in the center of the box. 

Roll the long strip of asbestos paper around the well, 
tying it in place with string, and being careful that the lower 
edge of the paper comes to the bottom of the well. 

Then stand the well in the center of the box and pack 
more paper about it as solidly as possible. To make sure 
that the well is in the center, slip the flange down in the box, 
and make the well fit into the round collar on the flange. 
Pack some paper in around the well, and try the flange again, 
and continue this until the well is firmly fixed in the center. 
The paper packing should come to the top of the well, 
and be finished off level all around. Pack down carefully, 
so that it will not later settle. 

Take the square flange and slip it down in the box, and 
make the collar on the hole fit down over the well. The 
flange may be tacked into the box by driving light nails into 
each corner of the turned-up edges. Do not fasten it securely, 
as you may want to take it off. A carpet tack in each corner 
will be sufficient. 

The cover that fits into the opening in the flange goes 
in, and then the cushion stuffed with crumpled paper. This 
cushion should be kept full enough to take up all the space 
between the flange and the lid of the box. 

47 



THE HOME ECONOMY HANDBOOK 

You now have a fireless cooker that will give restilts 
as good as any on the meurket, and it has cost you but a small 
fraction of the cost of one you would purchase. 

The cooking kettles may be tin buckets or earthen jars, 
or other kitchen utensils. Kettles made especially for use in 
fireless cookers can be bought for a small amount. 

In using the cooker, start the food as in ordinary cook- 
ing, bringing the food to a boil in the kettles. Heat the 
soapstone disc, place it in the bottom of the well, place the 
kettle on top of this, and cover with the lid and the cushion. 

Do not try to cook small amounts of food in large kettles 
in the cooker. If a large kettle must be used, fill up the 
vacant space with something that holds heat well, like a bottle 
of hot water. Or put the food intoa small kettle, and put 
the small kettle into the larger, filling up w^ith hot water. 

Do not open the cooker until the food is cooked. The 
food w^ill not burn if left in a long time. 

A little practice will enable you to get first class results 
from your cooker, and you will save much time and money 
by using it. 



BI«» 

covxn 




48 



